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Roman Tombstone
Brief Identification These incredibly detailed busts are of a Greek doctor, Claudius Agathemerus (right) and his wife Myrtale (left). The busts were made from marble in Rome, Italy around the years of 90-110 AD. The tombstone remained in Rome until the early seventeenth century when Thomas Howard, The 2nd Earl of Arundel, moved it to London, where it would eventually become a part of the collection in Oxford University's Ashmolean museum of art and archaeology . These busts were created to commemorate the doctor, and his wife. According to the Ashmolean , the busts were paid for by Myrtale, and stated that, "...the doctor was a 'swift healer of disease' and that the pair are now together with the blessed deceased in Elysium." These messages were chisled into the marble in Greek, not only because Greek was the language of intellectuals, but also to recognize the Greek background of the doctor and his wife Technical Evaluation Most Roman art that was created during the first century AD was still heavily influenced by Helenistic art. The exact artist of these busts is unknown, however the busts are incredibly detailed. In his book Roman Art, ''Donald Strong stated, "Some altars, such as the massive example in the Terme Museum, simply show the taste for rich detail..." and i would go so far as to say that great detail was also present in these smaller examples of funerary art Strong 1976, 137. The busts were originally one slab of marble that was chipped away using a chisel and then the sculpture was formed using rasps. A manual drill may have also been used for the nostrils or the ears. The same tools that were used two thousand years ago are still the tools marble sculptors use today. The doctor and his wife were portrayed in a way that highlighted the popular looks of a man and woman in first-century Rome. For example, the hairstyles of both Agathemerus and Myrtale. The tombstone appears to be bare marble, however it would not be surprising to find that it had originally been painted . If this is true, the tombstone would have been painted with brushes made from wood that used reeds or rushes as the bristles, and the paint would have most likely mixed with wax and then burnt onto the smooth surface of the marble Hodge 1998, 7. However, even without the paint, this tombstone is important because it shows the effect that Greek art had on Roman art. Even further, this piece can be used to argue that Greek art influenced art for centuries after. Local Historical Context First-century Rome was still a place that was filled with philosophy, both Greek-influenced and Roman birthed. Medical philosophy was still very much present in Roman society, seemingly, doctors were still greatly appreciated by the Roman people. It was the idea of Hippocratic medicine that emphasized the patient rather than the disease, and I feel that this focus on the individual from the doctor caused the patient (Romans) to revere the doctors Magner N., 96. This artifact was created during the Pax Romana, or 'Roman Peace'. According to Hannah Cornwell, "''Pax was imposed (or in the very least granted) by the Romans on their opponents, and bound the defeated in a contractual relationship with Rome" and in a time where the public does not need to fear impending danger, they are able to place their focus on other areas such as the arts Cornwell, 31. There were two emperors of Rome from 90-110 AD: Nerva, and following him his adopted son, Trajan. Nerva only ruled for a little over two years, but Trajan ruled for almost twenty years. In The Atlas of Military History Amanda Lomazoff stated, "The Roman Empire rose to its greatest heights in the first and second centuries AD, spreading its wings from the British Isles to northern Africa, from the Persian Gulf to the Atlantic Ocean" and an empire that large is bound to have medical influence from the south and more importantly the East Lomazoff, 57. While the medicine practice in the first and second centuries was not advanced it was still appreciated and spread throughout the empire. World-Historical Significance The tombstone of Claudius Agathemerus and Myrtale greatly represent the influence of Greek culture in the Roman world, and, in part, could help show the influence of Greek culture throughout history. To add to this idea, the tombstone's inscription showed the reverence for doctors in the first century. The creation of this tombstone allows historians to be able to better understand Roman culture and how it is influenced by Greek culture. It also allows historians to understand the funerary process., and possibly the lifestyle, of Roman and Greek intellectuals. Bibliography Cornwell, Hanna. Pax and the Politics of Peace: Republic to Principate. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017. Hodge, Susie. ''Art In History: Ancient Roman Art. ''Des Plaines, IL: Reed Educational and Professional Publishing Ltd., 1997. Lomazoff, Amanda, and Aaron Ralby. ''The Atlas of Military History: an Around-the-World Survey of Warfare through the Ages. ''San Diego: Thunder Bay Press, 2013. Magner, Lois N. ''A history of Medicine, Second Edition. ''Hoboken: Taylor and Francis, 2013. Strong, Donalad E., Roger Ling, and J.M. C. Toynbee. ''Roman Art. ''New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995. Ashmolean Museum, "Tombstone of Claudius Agathemerus and Myrtale" *https://www.ashmolean.org/tombstone-claudius-agathemerus-and-myrtale The Ancient Home, "Were Greek & Roman Statues Painted? The True Colors of the Classical World" *https://theancienthome.com/blogs/blog-and-news/greek-roman-statues-painted